thoughts while cleaning the 575

you know, you get in the zone, applying the rags to the down tube, to the rims between the spokes, to the compound curves of the brake calipers....

tonight i flashed back to my pre-purchase days, trading email with the guys at Yeti:

Q: Can you do a custom color?
A: No.

Q: Can a raw 575 be painted?
A: All our frames can be painted. Try calling Spectrum Powdercoating.

Q: Does the black or raw 575 come with the groovy climbing-axe headbadge?
A: All 575s come with the metal headbadge.

I went on to learn that there were haad-kowah Yeti people who objected to the 575 in Team Turq, and to the headbadge, on the grounds that the frame was built in Taiwan and somehow wasn't "true to Yeti."

It would be several months before I would pull the trigger. Now, I've been riding the bike since February. It's no longer black but some kind of perma-crusted dark tan, the seatpost wanders constantly, the cranks and BB act up regularly... and yet every time I take it out my thoughts about the bike eventually come to this: I love this bike! Headbadge? Taiwan? Who could possibly give a pffft when actually aboard the freaking thing, carving sweet singletrack or hanging ass off the back down a babyhead-littered chute, or landing into the squish after a delightful arc through the air?

I look for crack dents dings or delamination of the carbon pivot ala Redmon...cause I love this girl she takes me to places I've never been. She has helped me get back into the best shape I have been since high school. She helps me relax from my life stresses.

Last thing I want to do is spend downtime and back and forth time with Yeti. The bike is a priviledge to own and I hope to have a long and positive relationship with my girl

same here, i just got done giving her a bath in my garden tub!! that's right, i washed her inside the house and in my very own tub no less. my girl friend came in *****ing and i told her, "baby calm down, my girl has to look her best tomorrow so I am giving her a complete wash, head to toe!" to which she responded, "well why the hell are you doing it in the tub?" and i responded with, "because she's my other girl and unlike you she likes to get a little dirty every now and then and she deserves the best after a long, hard, dirty ride!" lets just say she isn't that happy with me, but hey my bike is going in for her nose job tomorrow (getting her new fork, 2007 TALAS RLC) which we have been waiting on for over 5 weeks now. ill finally post my pics in the yeti show us thread tomorrow when she is done.

same here, i just got done giving her a bath in my garden tub!! that's right, i washed her inside the house and in my very own tub no less. my girl friend came in *****ing and i told her, "baby calm down, my girl has to look her best tomorrow so I am giving her a complete wash, head to toe!" to which she responded, "well why the hell are you doing it in the tub?" and i responded with, "because she's my other girl and unlike you she likes to get a little dirty every now and then and she deserves the best after a long, hard, dirty ride!" lets just say she isn't that happy with me, but hey my bike is going in for her nose job tomorrow (getting her new fork, 2007 TALAS RLC) which we have been waiting on for over 5 weeks now. ill finally post my pics in the yeti show us thread tomorrow when she is done.

LOL.. Girlfriends are easy... Marry her and that bike will never see your tub again...

you know, you get in the zone, applying the rags to the down tube, to the rims between the spokes, to the compound curves of the brake calipers....

tonight i flashed back to my pre-purchase days, trading email with the guys at Yeti:

Q: Can you do a custom color?
A: No.

Q: Can a raw 575 be painted?
A: All our frames can be painted. Try calling Spectrum Powdercoating.

Q: Does the black or raw 575 come with the groovy climbing-axe headbadge?
A: All 575s come with the metal headbadge.

I went on to learn that there were haad-kowah Yeti people who objected to the 575 in Team Turq, and to the headbadge, on the grounds that the frame was built in Taiwan and somehow wasn't "true to Yeti."

It would be several months before I would pull the trigger. Now, I've been riding the bike since February. It's no longer black but some kind of perma-crusted dark tan, the seatpost wanders constantly, the cranks and BB act up regularly... and yet every time I take it out my thoughts about the bike eventually come to this: I love this bike! Headbadge? Taiwan? Who could possibly give a pffft when actually aboard the freaking thing, carving sweet singletrack or hanging ass off the back down a babyhead-littered chute, or landing into the squish after a delightful arc through the air?

i love my 575, and riding in general.

where do y'all drift when you're cleaning yours?

I look for dings and stuff but drift back to what it looked like when it was brand new out of the box. I try to clean it so it looks that way again.

The black still looks amazing. No scratches or marks. It is very tough. The wandering seatpost was fixed with a salsa clamp. Taiwan made... who cares? Those that tout that as a problem are probably driving Nissan or Toyota vehicles. I doubt seriously that there are many that are so rigid that they will only buy things made in the USA. If there are, they probably have very little choices. And I love the headbadge. Had it not had the badge, I would have purchased one separately and installed it.